China makes progress in anti-drug campaign
( 2003-10-30 09:12) (Xinhua)
China made new progress in its
anti-drug campaign over the past five years, with a number of drug- related
cases cracked and the growth of new drug-taking population slowing down.
According to information from the National Narcotics Control Commission,
China cracked more than 450,000 drug-related crimes in the past five years,
seizing a total of 41.5 tons of heroin, 46.6 tons of "ice" drug, 8.9 tons of
opium and nearly 1,340 tons of materials for making narcotics.
An official with the commission attributed the achievement to the continuous
heavy crackdowns on drug-related crime and effective international anti-drug
cooperation.
He warned that China still needs to remain alert, noting that the country
faces drug trafficking from a number of directions, including the "Golden
Triangle" area near Yunnan Province in the southwest, the coastal areas in
southeast China, and Afghanistan.
The annual growth rate of new drug addicts averaged 13 percent in the past
five years, down from 30 percent in the previous five- year period, according to
the commission.
The official attributed the improvement to intensive educational efforts,
including distributing information to schools and broadcasting special TV
programs.
According to the commission, China put 1.27 million drug addicts under forced
rehabilitation programs in the past five years.
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